Dark Side of the Moon
by GeNo C. iDe1
Summary: An impending doom is approaching Crystal Tokyo. And it seems to have something to do with Serenity's identity. The entire universe is preparing for something and a mistake from the past will haunt Neo Queen Serenity, as will a forbidden love. SMYYH crosso
1. Prologue

Title: Flight of the Moon, Part 1

(Dark Side of the Moon)

PROLOGUE

* * *

"The tales of the universe are long and almost gone, and it's secret powers lay hidden still."

* * *

_Long time ago, there was vast nothingness, not a particle in sight, much more a living thing. Yet from the nothingness sprung the entity called Light. She came in separating Darkness from her being, engulfing with her presence the Darkness she occupied. Longing for companion, she bore children which she scattered all around her. They were lovely beings twinkling around her. They spread out far and wide into Darkness. But Darkness was too vast that even though Light had borne millions and millions of her children, they were not enough to conquer his void. Nevertheless, it concerned little of her children. They were happy living in Darkness' void._

_There came a time when Light's most powerful and brilliant child, Lunaria, brought forth children that were fair and different from the other stars. They were brilliant, yes; but, they were extremely diminutive and their forms were none like any. The other children, sisters of Lunaria, bore also children; however, they came in unlike the offsprings of Lunaria. They were like themselves, very brilliant and big; some were also non-luminous, hard and solid._

_On the solid ground that came from Light's other children settled the children of Lunaria. Immediately, they flourished. They called Light's children 'stars' and they revered their mother Lunaria above all; she was near them and was their source of brilliance. Later on, the grounds they lived in became the planets. They called the one they lived in Sirio, for it was the child that came from Lunaria's sister, Siriana._

_The children of Lunaria grew in multitude, becoming less brilliant as the passing of time. At some point they had to find other planets to live in. Milleniums passed and the descendants of Lunaria were scattered, much like her siblings. Some of them trekked light-years away, rarely to be heard of. There were others who stayed in Sirio, while some preferred to live on planets near Lunaria. And it came to pass that these separated kinsmen were long forgotten; and if ever the Lunarian people hear of beings from afar, they would take them as foreigners. Language and culture differed; thus becoming the barrier that held the forgotten relatives apart. _

_And difference caused misunderstanding; misunderstanding caused arguments; arguments caused wars. From them started the first war in the universe. The first class of warriors sprung from them, the first art of war, the first bloodshed. An entity named Chaos was born amidst them, breeding greed and hatred in the hearts of the children of Lunaria, and feeding from all the malice that the war had inflicted in their minds. Thus the war continued._

_In a desperate attempt to save her children from the malice and the entity named Chaos, Lunaria sought her siblings' help. Together with Gaea, they battled Chaos. In the end, they won, dismissing Chaos to the far off regions of Darkness. _

_Afterwards, Gaea created Earth and they brought the remaining children of Lunaria there to start anew. Lunaria, on the other hand, bore another children, quite different from the first ones. They looked the same as the first though but they were fairer and more powerful. They were also immortal and were held as the guardians of the universe. Among these children came the most powerful protectors. And the youngest of them would be the ancestors of the most renowned among them, the progeny of the Silver Moon._

_This is the story of the ancient times. But this is but a gist of the story. The details lay deep as time goes by. With this, our story begins._

* * *


	2. Chapter 1

Title: Flight of the Moon, Part 1

(Dark Side of the Moon)

Chapter 1

* * *

_The halls resounded of her harsh and agonized screams. Her voice became weak and laborious, almost hoarse at some point. _

_"Your Highness, don't worry. It'll be over soon." They dabbed a towel on her sweaty forehead. _

_She grunted and groaned in pain, though pain was nothing to her. So long as she successfully delivers the child, she will endure any pain. Even if it cost her life, that's how important this child was to her. A seed from the wrong plot but it never mattered. With all her might she reached a hand to her left shoulder and pressed it gently, inflicting a wound that was long gone but the memory of it still remains._

_She will have this child!_

_"Ugh!" She cried her last as the child also cried on its own. It was music to the mother's ears._

_"Congratulations, your Highness. It's a healthy baby boy."_

_After that, the Queen's eyes closed for a blissful sleep. _

* * *

Serenity stifled a yawn as she struggled to sit still on her throne. Palace courtesy calls were never her thing. Aside from that her husband wasn't there to assist her.

"Kennaiya Slovensky," droned the emcee.

Though calm and regal at first glance, her thoughts were otherwise: she has got to get out of the room.

Guest started to flock infront of her, attempting to have a chat or two with her highness. It will only be a matter of time before she can escape this torturing boredom. Chibiusa was there so the guests won't have any trouble looking for royalties to annoy with their absurd questions about the economy or whatnot.

When she saw that no one was looking, she immediately reached for the exit.

At last freedom, she thought.

"And where do you think you're going?" A voice from behind her interrupted.

And so Neo Queen Serenity was busted by her own soldier, Uranus.

"H-haruka! How nice to see you. I was just heading for the toilet. You don't mind, do you?"

"Not if that's where you're really going, which I doubt you are." Uranus cocked a brow at her.

"Oh, ok! But have pity! I've been there for hours. I need a break."

Uranus sighed. Serenity was giving her that pleading look that's somehow childish and unqueenly. That also means that the princess will have to face the guest alone again.

"If that's how you put it. Be sure to take a rest," Uranus finally said. This won't go well with the other soldiers, but Uranus allowed her anyway.

After blurting out incoherent thanks, Serenity dashed through the hallway merrily.

"So I guess we have to assist the princess now, won't we?"

"How long have you been there?"

"Long enough to see her highness beg." Neptune stepped out from the entrance door. "You know I always look for you when you're not round."

"You shouldn't talk about her like that."

"Sorry. My bad. You seem to be touchy today. The others might not like it but you tend to go soft with her highness. Now, I'm thinking if I should mind that softness of yours or not."

"Forgive me, but -- oh, well." Uranus sighed again.

Neptune stepped in and gave Uranus a hug.

"It's fine; don't worry. I was just teasing you. I understand."

"Haha. I don't have the energy to scold her."

"Nor do I. Come now, let the queen be and let us face the crowd."

* * *

_The moon loomed closer to Earth today than it was before. It loomed ominously at her. She was at the pavilion situated near the palace, the one that overlooks the city of Neo Tokyo._

_First there was silence; only the night breeze could be heard. Then there was the sound of the midnight bell, long and loud tolling of bells. Seconds passed and the sounds were getting louder and nearer. The wind also blew harder, and then it brought the tolling to its crescendo, until it abruptly stopped. She suddenly found herself in darkness with the floor an inch high up in water. The palace, the city and its lights were gone. However, there were only the moon, the water and the darkness._

_"Serenity..." said a whisper from behind her._

_Serenity turned and saw a woman with the same longish hair as her. Immediately she recognized the woman. _

_"Mother!"_

_"Serenity..." Again her mother whispered. Queen Serenity was sitting on the same pavilion that she had been in, and was staring up at the dark sky instead of her daughter._

_"Mother," she called again yet the old Queen seemed not to hear it as she continued to look up at the dark sky._

_"If only you know..."_

_"Mother!" A gush of strong wind came._

_"... your father."_

_"Mother!" In an instant, the strong wind shattered the image of her mother along with the pavilion and the darkness around._

_In that instant too, Neo Queen Serenity woke up._

She was sweating a lot when she woke up. The words of her mother slowly gnawed at her as she reached for a towel to dab her face with. The message of the dream was clear to her. But it got her thinking of things she had forgotten a long long time ago.

* * *

Somewhere, two ladies were sitting in a dark room, drinking cups of tea.

"Are you sure about this?"

"I want to warn them. Sooner or later the others will intervene. They will know of the crystal and they will try to get hold of it."

"And they will know of the discrepancy you've brought here yourself. You have become, I dare say, a selfish person, aren't you? You're daughter will bound to know the truth about herself once this is done. No harsh feelings when they issue the order. I am just a follower and nothing more."

"You always say that but I don't believe you."

"You're overconfidence is mind-numbing."

"I _believe _in you, Major."

The Major snorted."See what I mean."

The old queen merely smiled at the Major, tipping the cup to her lips for a drink.

* * *

_'If you only know your father,' the old queen whispered to the wind. And everything shattered and fell to darkness._

* * *

"Your highness! Your highness, wake up!"

Usagi woke up with a start. "What is it, Luna? Can't you give me five more minutes? I'm still sleepy."

"Wake up, Usagi. We've an emergency." Luna looked quite disturbed, Usagi noticed.

"What is it?"

"It's the crystals. Come quick to the chamber."

After a minute or two, Usagi and Luna were heading to the royal chambers where the crystals were located. Indeed, when they stepped into the chambers, they instantly saw the glowing stones, all seven of them placed in a pedestal in the center of the room. The crystals were evidently reacting to something. All the queen's soldiers were there: Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus and Neptune.

Immediately all of them turned to the approaching queen. "The crystals, they're reacting," informed Mercury.

"How long has it been doing that?"

"Just recently we assume. It was Mars who saw it first and informed all of us," Mercury said.

"What do you think of this, Usagi?" Jupiter asked. Among the Inner Scouts, Neo Queen Serenity was still their friend Usagi.

"I don't know."

"I think we better observe this for a while," Jupiter said.

"I think so too," said Venus.

There was a pause before everyone directed their attention to what the queen would say.

"Well then, if that's the case. We will observe this until we come up with something."

"Affirmative," Venus said. "We'll watch this until then. Mercury, please continue with the research."

Mercury nodded, and then headed on tinkering with her palm computer.

Venus turned to Usagi."We'll inform you when we find something."

After that, Usagi went out of the chamber with Luna.

"Luna, do you think we should be alarmed by this?"

"I'm not sure but it's better to be safe than sorry. I'll go check the computer room for any sign of enemies nearby. We don't know but this might signal an alarm that an enemy is nearby. If you remember, this also happened during the Dark Moon incident."

"If you come to think of it... Yes, it did happen. What could it be this time?"

"Don't worry, Usagi. You can count on us. The king would be back this week, won't he? I'll go inform him and you do your duties today. You have a lot to do today since you skipped it the last time."

Usagi sighed. "Thanks a lot. It'll be a busy day today." She stretched her limbs upwards while yawning. "When will I ever get a vacation?"

"There will be time for that; but for now, I won't let you shirk away this time. You have stalled your duties far too long. Run along now and do your work. I'll check the computer room and inform the King of this."

With that, Luna and Usagi took their own way.

* * *

_"You will help me, won't you?"_

_"I can't just let things be, your highness. I have to take action even if you do not ask for it? But what are you planning? Forgive me for asking."_

_"I ask you to trust me on this. I have to correct the wrongs that I've done. Whether I let things be or not, all will fall to place inevitably. My only wish is to redeem what I have forgotten to redeem. That is all."_

* * *

The night was young when Neo Queen Serenity decided to have a leisure walk out of the palace gardens. There were tons of things to be done at the palace office; she finished only half of it for the rest of the day. She was silently sitting in a pavilion, staring up at the full moon when she felt a presence behind her. Turning for a look, she nearly jumped when she saw who was there.

"Your highness, I'm sorry to bother you at this hour."

"Setsuna, what are you doing here? What is it?"

"There is something I wish to tell you. Someone wants to talk to you. Please come with me."

"Who is it?" Usagi took everything by surprise. First the crystals, then this. Something must be going on that she doesn't know. How come Setsuna's here? It's rare for the soldier of Pluto to make an appearance unless something bad was going on. Her heart raced a little faster as she approached the now transformed senshi.

Pluto summoned her staff and created a dark portal just behind her. "Please come with me."

She held her hand to the queen. Usagi reached for the hand, thanking her soldier silently.

"Don't worry, Neo Queen Serenity. There's nothing to be afraid of. I am here."

Hand in hand, they entered the dark portal.

* * *


	3. Chapter 2

Title: Flight of the Moon, Part 1

(Dark Side of the Moon)

Chapter 2

* * *

The portal led them to a dark deserted land of an alternate and timeless dimension. Withering trees surrounded them and in the middle of them was a white double door. It was an eerie place; but with Pluto around Usagi was more confident.

"Your highness, someone is waiting for you behind those doors. You may go in now."

"Aren't you coming with me?" Usagi was hesitating.

"Don't worry. Please trust me, your highness."

Usagi heaved up a breath and stepped to approach the doors. She must trust Pluto. All her soldiers had proved worthy of her trust. They would not let anything befall her.

Erasing her doubt, she firmly opened the doors. Immediately, white light flooded from within. Usagi automatically shielded her eyes from the blinding light. When her eyes adjusted to her surrounding, she saw herself staring at Earth. She realized that she was back at the old Moon Kingdom, at the balcony where she used to frequent.

"Welcome back, my dear," said an old voice from behind. Usagi knew the voice and suddenly felt a longing that she never felt before.

She turned almost tearfully. "Mother!" She moved to hug her young looking mother.

"You're alive. I thought you were gone a long time ago."

"That wouldn't happen, my child," the old queen said and added mysteriously. "Because your mother is about to meet her sentence."

"Huh? What sentence?" Usagi released herself from the hug.

To that, the old queen smiled softly and replied, "There are so many things you still don't know about the universe that you need to discover."

Usagi looked up quizzically. "What... do you mean?"

The old queen sighed slowly. "My dear Serenity, I don't know how to begin with this. At last everything has come to its peak. I have stalled it far too long, knowing that it will come out inevitably. I thought I could shield you from it then; however thinking of it now, I may have made a mistake. Yet given the chance I realized that I would not want it any other way. And I think the right time has come."

"What are you talking about?"

There was a short but tense pause that followed.

"You need to know the truth-- about your heritage."

"My heritage?" Usagi said pensively. She thought back of the dream she had and it finally snapped at her. "You mean, my... father?"

Queen Serenity nodded. Usagi realized it then, that ever since she didn't know her own father. It was odd then that she did not ask of it for so long. She remembered having asked once but it was a busy time for her mother that her question was left unanswered.

"I-I don't remember him--"

"He was never with us to begin with. You have never seen him, that's why. I met your father only once."

Usagi was surprised. "Really? How come?"

The old queen smiled warmly. "My dear," she clasped Usagi's cheeks tenderly with both hands, "there's a lot for you to know. I need you to listen to me carefully." This time the old Queen Serenity looked seriously at her. "Because what I'm going to tell you may affect what's going to happen to you and to the rest of your kingdom. And possibly the universe you're in." With her hand still clasped between Usagi's confused face, she gently pulled Usagi to her and in a low yet clear tone she continue. "Others have told me that it was a wrong move to fall in love with your father; but nevertheless, I've loved him and borne him a child. Only a few people know this but... your father was a demon from a place called Makai. And I want you, I want you to go look for him in that place to meet him."

Usagi was stunned. She didn't know what to do with what she heard from her mother.

_Her father... a demon!_

"I," she stuttered. "I, I don't know--"

"I'm sorry to have kept it from you this long," the old queen sincerely said. "I didn't know how to say it to you even back then. I guess this is just the proper time to tell you. I'm not saying you should oblige to what I've said earlier. You don't need to look for him if you don't want to. It is just my wish that you look for your father, that is all. Now, I have to tell you the consequence of what I have done."

Queen Serenity embraced her daughter fervently before Usagi could even react. "I have done something wrong in the eyes of others. And this I am willing to pay alone. So long as no harm is done to you, I'm fine with it. My dear, you are the only memory I have of him. I will not let anything befall on you. This is all I wish to tell you until the day I meet my sentence."

To this, Usagi grew more confused. "I don't understand you--"

"There is nothing to understand, my dear. These things are not of your concern except those about your father, you have nothing to do with it at all. I just want you to know the truth about your father."

"But if it's about you, I--"

Her mother pressed a finger on her lips to silence her. "There is nothing to worry, my dear. I am safe as you can see. I have been safe all this years, haven't I? So trust that I'm always here. What I want you to be concerned about is your father. Whether you want to see him or not is your decision. I want you to think of this for three days. After that, I'll come to talk to you again. Until then tell no one of this meeting and of what I've told you. Please, you must leave now or they will come looking for you."

The same white double doors suddenly appeared behind them. Usagi wasn't sure of what to do as she went along with the flow of things. Almost as suddenly as she came, she saw herself back at the pavilion where she was resting earlier. Swept away by the moment, she hardly knew what to think of as she processed slowly everything that happened minutes ago. One thing was sure though, she has a lot to think about these following days.

* * *

Serenity has been slightly out of it the following day. She did her work silently, pausing and sighing every now and then. Luna who was always right beside her would ask if she was alright; the queen would only reply that she's fine and dismissed any worries thrown her way.

"Did you sleep well, Usagi?" Luna asked.

"I slept fine. Don't worry." And she would lightly whine about her work. She hadn't sleep really well as she was thinking about what happened last night. It's true that she has never seen her father and that somehow, after talking with her mother, she was longing to see him. But a demon? How could that be? And what trouble has her mother gotten into? Who's condemning her mother? And why did she have to tell her now? All this questions came running through her head, aside from the puzzling fact about the strange behavior of the crystals. She was thinking of asking her mother about it, if she knew anything as to why the crystals were behaving that way. However, it didn't seem to concern her mother. Besides, her mother would have told her about it if something strange was going on. She still didn't know what to do about his father. Though a large part of her wanted to see him, to meet him somehow, she still didn't know what to do. Everything seemed to be going too fast.

Dinner at the palace was a strangely silent event. The queen has been preoccupied about something; and her loyal friends and daughter were beginning to worry.

"Mother, are you alright?"

Usagi pulled out of her trance to look at her daughter Chibiusa. "Of course, my dear. Don't worry. I just feel quite tired that's all."

"Don't worry about it, mother. Father is coming home tomorrow so you shouldn't worry about work or the crystals. Surely the soldiers will find out what's the problem." Chibiusa smiled at her mother.

"You must miss your father, don't you, Chibiusa?"

The little princess nodded happily. "You miss him too, don't you, mother? When father gets back, I'll ask him to help me with my lessons. He's really good at helping me. Father is really great, isn't he?"

Usagi stared at her daughter after awhile and nodded approvingly. Fathers are great, aren't they? The queen smiled to herself.

* * *

The time came when the king arrived. Usagi was only a little relieved by the fact. She was still occupied by the sudden event with her mother, though a decision was strongly and surely forming in her mind.

"Mercury, what have you discovered about the crystal?" the king asked.

"Still negative, your Highness. We haven't yet discovered the cause and we detect no enemy nearby," Mercury replied.

"Is that so?" The king paused for some time. "I guess we'll have to wait for sometime then. Please watch for any changes and any signs of foreign entities in space. We need to be alert until we find the cause of the crystal's reaction."

Everyone complied with the king's orders. Usagi stood in the corner of the room, half-listening to what her husband was saying as he dismissed the others.

"Usako, are you alright?"

Usagi was startled. "I'm fine really. Why do you people keep asking that question? I'm just a bit tired, Mamo-chan. You too, I guess. The trip must have tired you a bit."

Mamuro embraced his dear wife. "Yes, we should rest then." And they kissed as the sun moved down and darkness engulfed the land.

* * *

She faced her mother that night with a determination that cannot be deterred. She needed to see him, needed to know him. It has been a longing that had been latent until now.

"Mother, I wish to see my father," she said. And the old queen smiled happily at her.

* * *

TBC


	4. Chapter 3

Title: Flight of the Moon, Part 1

(Dark Side of the Moon)

Chapter 3

* * *

Usagi was debating with herself whether it was a good plan or a bad plan. She couldn't let them suspect anything and god knows she was bad in hiding things. But she has to do it. It's the only way she could think of and the only way to do what needs to be done. Finally after ten minutes of pacing the hallway, she heaved up a sigh and proceeded to knock on the royal office doors. She opened the door and with a smile greeted her husband.

"Mamo-chan, can we talk?"

* * *

She was humming to herself as she was choosing clothes from her closet. She had succeeded after that long and winding talk with her husband. At first she thought he would not allow her; but after sometime of coaxing and sweet talks, she finally had her way. Usagi prayed that he didn't suspect anything and just attributed her request for one of her sporadic whims. Now, all she needed to do was to get ready. Suddenly, the door to her room burst open.

"Your Highness!" Uranus' voice rang loudly across the room. She sounded miffed and Usagi could very well see by looking at her that she was indeed. "I'm sorry for the intrusion," she added though she didn't look sorry at all. "I heard you were going on vacation." She accused more than stated.

Usagi knew where this was going and was completely uncomfortable with it. Among her soldiers, Uranus was a bit overprotective; and that may just very well be an understatement. She turned her back from the senshi and pretended to busy herself with packing her clothes.

"Well, yes. So you've heard. I'll be going to the countryside for some weeks of rest. I think I need some breath of fresh air. I haven't been feeling well these past few days."

"So why don't you go to the doctor then? If you're not feeling well then the doctors would probably help."

The queen laughed nervously. "That won't be necessary. It's nothing critical. Besides I wanted to have a vacation. You know, sometime to be alone." You get the drift, she thought or hoped that Uranus did.

"Alone by yourself doesn't sound good to me," Uranus bluntly said. And by her tone, Usagi could tell she was displeased and was intent on doing something about it.

"Oh, but Haruka! It's been a long time since I've gotten out by myself. Besides, I wouldn't be all alone. There are caretakers in the vacation house. I don't think they'll leave me alone there."

"But there's no one to guard you there. You should have at least asked for some of the security to accompany you."

"But I don't need any of those. It's not like we're going to tell the media where I'm going. Nobody would even know that I'll there."

"That's not the point!" Uranus insisted. "I'm going with you and that's final." With that the doors closed. Usagi sat on her bed, looking troubled. Uranus' declaration was final, whether she was the queen or not.

"Now, how am I suppose to go on with this?" she thought aloud. She needed another plan and heaven knows she's not good with plans.

* * *

The queen felt miserable while they were on the trip to the countryside. She currently has two big problems riding along with her and those were Uranus and Neptune. Sure she's gotten the permission to leave easily but how was she to get away from these two? For sure they'd notice if she suddenly disappeared and that would cause suspicions from family and the others. She couldn't risk that. Well, she thought, there's only one way to get out of this. So she chose the lesser evil and hoped to heavens there won't be any problems.

"Haruka, Michiru, I need to talk to you," Usagi said to them that night while they were in the living room. Uranus was still angry with her when she found out that Usagi dismissed the caretaker after they got there; and now, they were the only ones in the said vacation house.

"What is it, Usagi-chan?" Michiru asked, a fond expression on her face. She noticed the troubled look on the young queen's face and couldn't help but worry.

"I need to tell you... the reason why I decided to suddenly go in here," she slowly said.

Uranus was alarmed. She had suspected that something was wrong with the queen but now, it seemed that she was right about it. "You said you didn't feel well."

Usagi nervously laughed. "You can say that. But that's not exactly it. You see, I came here to meet Pluto."

The two soldiers looked at each other. "Tell us what's going on," Neptune said quietly but firmly.

"I needed to go somewhere," Usagi started but paused. She was choosing her words carefully. "I needed to go somewhere to find a certain person. Originally, I was going to look for that person alone but since you're both here I might as well have you with me. I didn't want others to know, so I decided to... suddenly have a vacation." She smiled nervously at them.

"But, who is this person you're looking for?" Neptune asked the dreaded question. Usagi prayed they wouldn't ask because she'd rather not tell them really.

"Well, the person I was looking for is... my father." She was a bad liar and they know that so she opted to just tell them the truth, or some of it. "My father is in an alternate place; and Pluto is going to help me get there. So, I hope you understand why I have to do this."

"But why didn't you tell us in the first place? We could easily help you and the others would help as well," Uranus said.

"I'm sorry. But I have my reasons why I couldn't tell the others. Please understand; I want to keep this a secret," Usagi pleaded. She knew it was unreasonable for her to leave everybody else in this but she really couldn't tell them. Her mother asked her not to for some obscure reasons. But since Uranus and Neptune were already there, she decided to let them in on her little quest. Surely her mother wouldn't mind. She just couldn't leave her soldiers behind.

The two soldiers, though curious, didn't insist on it any more. "So when are we leaving?" Uranus asked.

"Tonight, at midnight, Pluto will be here. She'll lead us to where my father is."

"Your highness, I thought you'd be here by yourself," Pluto quietly said, unsurprised when she saw the other two senshis with her.

"I thought so myself, but, well, I couldn't refuse them," Usagi answered sheepishly.

"Very well. I think it's good you brought them along. The world you'll be going to isn't a nice place, to say the least." Immediately, Pluto transformed and opened a black portal behind them. "Please follow me." The four of them went straight through the portal and disappeared by the strike of midnight.

They were again in a piece of deserted land floating in the middle of a timeless space. Pluto pointed her staff in one swirling vortex on the side of them. "That is where you should go. But I warn you again, your highness. You are going to Makai, the demon world. There are a lot of vicious and powerful demons in that world, so please be careful. I'm glad you have Uranus and Neptune with you."

"We're going to a demon world?" Neptune was slightly shocked. The queen didn't tell them beforehand where they were going.

"You were going to the demon world and didn't intend to bring us at all? Do you want to kill yourself?" Uranus was pissed.

"Sorry, I really didn't want to involve any of you in this," Usagi said apologetically. "If you weren't with me, Pluto would have come along with me instead. It's not like I'm not protected, you know."

"She's right. I did intend to come along with her. But now that you're here, I'll stay here in the time space to watch over your trip. Remember, you can only stay there for seven days. After that, you have to come back immediately whether you've found the person you're looking for or not. If you get into trouble, please contact me with Neptune's mirror immediately. And if you need to come back soon," she handed Usagi a small key pendant. "You do know how to use that, don't you?"

"Aa, you've given Chibiusa one of these before." Usagi smiled at the memory.

"And also before you go," Pluto handed them some brown cloaks. "It is a must that you hide your identity. Again, I warn you, Makai is a very dangerous place. It's full of monsters and thieves. You mustn't let anyone notice you. Again, you'll be there for only seven days. Please be careful."

The three nodded and put on their cloaks. They jumped into the direction of the swirling vortex and were sucked into the tunnel.

After a while, the swirling vortex disappeared and another one, a smaller one appeared beside Pluto. A shadowed figure came out of it and spoke to the silent soldier.

"So they've gone."

"Yes," was Pluto's quiet reply.

"Well done then. Watch over them carefully."

Pluto nodded silently. Silence hung around them for a while.

"You seemed to be worried."

Pluto sighed at that. Of course, she was. Extremely. "By doing this, I'm afraid we've already broken a hundred rules."

"Certainly. Having drilled an inter-dimentional hole through the system, and not to mention a time tunnel at that, will definitely sentence us to immediate death, if not eternal suffering. But I've told you. There's nothing to worry. You will be relieved of responsibility from this incident. We will answer to that when the time comes; but I assure you, you will not be involved. You are but a mere follower. This has nothing to do with you. All you need to do is to keep silent."

That is not the point, Pluto thought angrily. What will happen to her own safety did not concern her at the least. "And her Highness?" she voiced.

"Well," the figure shrugged. "We will have to see to that."

This served to anger the soldier more. "If something happens to the queen..." she trailed off knowing that she couldn't do anything about it really. And that served to frustrate her more. She felt useless because she couldn't even protect the queen.

The stranger snorted. "What happens will happen. I do not know what has gotten in the head of that mother of hers. And to think my own head will be cut off the moment this leaks out, I don't know what has gotten to me either. You do understand, don't you? We're both the same pawns of some sort. Anyway, you take charge and watch them. I'll cover this from the higher ups." The stranger waved at her dismissively and turned to leave.

"Yes," Pluto bid bitterly. "Major."

Pluto had to agree with the Major despite the fact that she disliked her and her kind. It doesn't matter if that person was acquainted with the old queen. She disliked the Major's kind and their seemingly condescending attitude. Among the other soldiers in the galaxy, she must be among the very few ones who knew something about the Major's kind. She had after all met a few; and she couldn't say she liked anyone of them. Pluto sighed inwardly and turned to look at the side where the vortex that took the queen and the other soldiers had been. She had never been this worried about the queen's safety before.

* * *

"The air here is different," Neptune commented. They were in a cliff overlooking the vast forest of Makai. Indeed, the air was very different. There was an unknown stench and the air was stifling. It was hard to breathe and it took them some minutes to get used to the atmosphere. They were like salt water fishes that were suddenly brought to fresh water. Only the sudden shift didn't abruptly kill them. Uranus sat on the boulder nearby, followed by Neptune. They were panting slightly and trying to adjust their lungs to the new surroundings.

Usagi on the other hand stood near the cliff; her eyes transfixed on the surrounding below her. She wasn't fully aware of the stifling air or the stench. Well, she was at first but it didn't bother her that much. For her the air was heavy but it wasn't hard to breathe. She just felt odd. Her body and senses felt odd. It was as if something was changing; like herself and the whole universe were changing and moving in an altogether different direction. It was like her body was being pushed and pulled somewhere towards the red horizon. Oddly enough, it was nearing dusk in this world and she was looking straight towards the horizon as the sun kept sinking. And as darkness slowly crept into the sky, Usagi's vision slowly darkened and her body fell.

"Your Highness!" Neptune shouted. She saw the queen collapsed near the cliff and they immediately rushed to her. Usagi looked pale and they concluded that it must have been the air which has affected their queen. Both of them tried to lift the queen's limp body; but they were interrupted by rude, ugly sounds and an equally offensive smell.

"Look what we got here," one youkai appeared before them, followed by two others. They were hideous creatures with claws and fangs that present nothing but menace. Aside from that, they were males, which was quite unusual for the soldiers to see. They often encounter female demons in their world. And those female demons never smelled this bad. Uranus knew that in any other occasion she would have wanted to gag. However seeing their queen's condition, she threw away the urge and just sniffed in disgust.

"Michiru, hold the queen for a while." She has no idea how strong these creatures in this land are; but she'd soon die that let any harm come in to the queen. With that in mind, she summoned her sword for battle.

* * *


	5. Chapter 4

Title: Flight of the Moon, Part 1

(Dark Side of the Moon)

Chapter 4

* * *

The night seemed long for them in this strange place. They couldn't even sleep in peace fearing that some demon would disturb them. Thus Uranus and Neptune arranged for one of them to keep watch for the night. Uranus sat contemplatively near the fire as she waited for the dawn to arrive. Sword held in one hand, she scanned the surrounding for the last time, ears alert for any suspicious sounds. Her eyes landed on the fading glow of their camp fire, and eventually on the two sleeping forms in front of her. Neptune lay curled on the edge of their camp a few inches from their queen, her cloak draped around her body. Usagi, on the other hand, lay still near the fire, brows a bit furrowed as if in concentration or in pain. Uranus has been watching her since the start of her watch. It has been strange really. After all the time she has been with their queen, helping her through trials and battles, this may be the first time she thought that her little koneko was acting very suspicious. Uranus could feel that she was hiding something from them. But she couldn't ask. She trusted her queen implicitly, so did Neptune. Wasn't that the reason why they followed her here without any complains? Besides, she was sure she'd tell them eventually. Right now, she was more concerned with Usagi's health. She hasn't waked up since yesterday; though they didn't see any fatal signs on her.

Uranus suddenly frowned at a thought. It would have been better if the queen wore something more fitting than a gown on this trip. What with rugged terrains and monsters on the way, her koneko would surely have trouble on this journey. Aside from that Uranus had a feeling that with their attires, they were bound to catch attention. Good thing Pluto gave them those cloaks. And not only that, it seemed that their mere presences were attracting those demons. She has no idea where this world was or if it's in another planet but something was odd about this place that she couldn't understand. Ever since they landed here, she had seemed to have developed a certain sensing ability. Either that or her senses for some unknown reason had heightened over night. She could detect energy levels from a certain distance and gauge roughly the capabilities of those demons they've encountered earlier. So far they were of weaker levels; she had easily eliminated them with her sword. But sometime along the course of the night, she had felt a chill run up her spine. There was an energy level somewhere very far from them that was frighteningly strong. Its aura was faint but almost palpable and menacing. The two of them didn't speak a word about it but she knew Neptune had felt it too. They were experiencing the same height in senses and they both didn't know why. They were just glad that the energy level was very far away from them. Just to make sure, they stayed away from its direction. Not that they felt they couldn't handle the creature that possessed that energy level but that they couldn't risk anything for their queen.

Dawn was nearly coming; she could feel it. As the stars above slowly faded and the first rays approached the horizon, Uranus stood up and glanced around their vicinity. Sensing no threatening energy nearby, she headed for the little river some meters away from them to fish their breakfast. The queen lacked planning skills, really. How was she to cope in this land if she didn't bring any necessities with her such as food and proper clothing? The thought worried Uranus immensely. She was a queen after all. She doubted if she'd ever been a camper. But what if she had never expected anything like this place or journey at all? There's always that possibility of her not knowing what she's doing.

Anyway, Uranus was glad they hadn't left early from Crystal Tokyo to their stations. They should have left already after King Endymion arrived. However, Neptune, the ever perceptive one, asked them to stay for a while. The reacting Silver Crystal was bothering her and something told her to stay on Earth for a while. Uranus argued that they should immediately be on their stations especially that the Silver Crystal was reacting. It was their job to protect Earth from outside invaders coming from space. They shouldn't waste their time loitering on Earth for that matter. Eventually, Neptune won the argument saying that the other Outer senshi could do the job well. Besides, they have their queen to protect which was their first priority and it's best to protect her from Earth. They should at least see to it that there would be no more threats to the queen's life. Which brings them to the main reason why they were down there on Earth in the first place and not in their stations outside Earth. A few months ago, news had reached them that there were several rumors of assassination plots against the ruler of Crystal Tokyo by rebels who still refused to be purified by the Silver Crystal. Whether these were just rumors or not, it stirred the palace and they couldn't help but worry especially when the king and the queen were supposed to have an official tour outside their premise. To top it off, there really did occur several failed attempts to destroy parts of Crystal Tokyo by some culprits but whether these were related to the alleged assassination plots were still unclear; however, that reinforced the possibility that those rumors may well be more than just rumors. It was then decided that the queen should be left in the palace and added reinforcement should be called. Therefore some of the Outer senshi were summoned to protect the queen until the king returns. Uranus eagerly obliged to Earth's request. She was very worried about her koneko and would take up any chances just to see and protect her. Aside from that, taking watch in space was somehow getting boring. So Uranus and Neptune descended to Earth and were supposed to stay only for at least a month until the king arrives safely home; after all, it was the king who requested for the added backup since the assassination seemed to target only the queen. However, with the situation about the reacting crystals and the two of them with the queen being stuck in another dimension, not to mention a demon world at that, they would have to extend their stay with the queen for a week or more. As for why the king even allowed Usagi to go on a vacation on her own in the first place, Uranus couldn't minutely grasp. Usagi must have pulled some strings to be allowed as such. This didn't go well to Uranus' opinion of the king, which in the first place wasn't much. She never thought that King Endymion was ever fitted to be with her little koneko; she never thought anyone did. But Usagi loves him and that's all that mattered anyway.

Uranus went back to camp with their breakfast in one hand when she noticed that Neptune was up. She was crouching beside their queen with a frown on her face.

"She's still not up," she simply stated, not looking up at Uranus.

"I'm afraid so," was her only reply as she started another fire.

* * *

"Hurry the hell up!" a one-horned demon commander shouted at the soldiers who were shouldering a heavy trunk. "Be careful with that. If that drops there's gonna be hell to pay, do you hear?" His voice thundered and was heard by the relatively long line of soldiers all lined up heading for the looming fortress upfront them. It was the fortress of one demon named Kakushiro, a savage feudal lord of Makai who had some months ago looted a small quiet village of humans near the east. They had taken the women and slaughtered the rest, as well as gathered all the treasures the small village could offer. Kakushiro and his men weren't expecting much from the village and were contented of robbing them of their food and women. However surprisingly enough, they found a mysterious chest that resided in the small temple of the village. Inside the chest was a crystal ball the size of a melon filled with water inside; and in the center of the said crystal was a gem stone. The gem was as blue as the night sky and it gave off the blue color of the water. And even in the dark, in the complete absence of light, it gave off a strange glow.

The priestess of the temple died protecting it. She was raped and killed afterwards, her blood spilling over the crystal ball. She died cursing the soldiers who violated her, saying that the heavens and the sky, from where the stone had come from, would punish them severely.

_"The sky will curse you; the sea will devour you; and the wind will shatter you into dust. While the moon will watch with cold content as you meet your doom."_ Those were the last she said. And Kakushiro the demon, corrupt as he was, did not listen to the human priestess nor to any human for that matter.

Kakushiro took the treasure to his fortress and was completely attached to it. He was a big, burly demon, heartless, and greedy. His men have the habit of attacking small villages and burning them down to oblivion. Recently he has come to the habit of threatening prosperous villages from other lands so they would bend to his will. He would promise the leaders of the village that they would not destroy their place if they agree to give them what they want. Eventually, he would break his word and once he had weakened these villages, he would plunder them to his heart's content.

Thankfully, Kakushiro was not the strongest demon alive and that he knew. It was a good thing for him there were lesser demons who were foolish and equally greedy enough to follow him. So when the threat came regarding a pack of thieves heading their way, Kakushiro was a bit troubled. The said group of thieves had already plundered from their fortress near south. The thieves had taken the treasures there and they seemed to be aiming for Kakushiro's lands. This Kakushiro wouldn't allow; he wouldn't allow his precious treasures to be taken, especially the enchanted crystal ball. He had felt for the first time he had touched it the immense power that it carried. He was the first one who had touched it and had felt its power, since he was the first one to take a good look at it. After that, he kept quiet and ordered his soldiers to take it to the fortress. He regretted having killed the priestess for he had no idea on how to harness the power of the crystal and use it to his advantage. With the power of the crystal he thought he could do anything he desired. He wanted to be the most powerful demon all throughout Makai; therefore he was obsessed with the crystal. Every night he would attempt to study the crystal. He would attempt to infuse his dark youki to it, all in vain. The crystal would not yield. At one point, in utter frustration, he had thrown it hard against the wall and was shocked to find out that not a scratch marred its surface. So he did everything to break through the crystal but nothing came out of it. The crystal and its contents stayed unchanged as if it were never touched.

And Kakushiro was afraid of the bandits. He has heard of their immense skills and their awful leader. He was afraid that those bandits would get hand of the crystal. In his panic, he traveled with the crystal to his largest and most protected fortress on the west end of his land. There he was determined to keep the crystals safe and hidden until he found a way to harness its power.

* * *

She remembered her mother giving her a small vial to use to her husband. She was against it in the beginning; but having grasp her mother's logic and being assured that nothing bad will come to her husband, she took it and sprayed all its contents to herself minutes before her talk with her husband. In the end, it worked. Endymion had given her the permission to go out on her own, not knowing he was under the mild influence of a potion. After a long while it would wear off but not before Usagi had left the palace. She didn't know why the potion did not work for Uranus but she assumed that during their very brief interaction, the potion had no time of taking effect. By the time they were preparing to leave, she could not get the two outer soldiers more than a minute to herself. After a while, when they were already on their way to the countryside, she had deduce that the potion must have worn off.

She never expected Makai to be like this. Usagi was a bit afraid of this journey and was expecting far worse like dark creepy lands than the vast green forest which was the real Makai. When she looked down on the forest of Makai, various sensations assaulted her. Even now when she was asleep, she could feel strange auras coming from different directions. Her mother told her that she would know where to find her father. Her blood would respond to him and it would pull her to his direction. Usagi commented that she would be like a living compass. Her mother laughed at that and agreed. However, right now, she could not tell her father's location. With all the interferring auras around her, she could not pinpoint which direction her father was. Until she felt a tug somewhere. It drove all the auras to the back of her senses, focusing her attention to that single aura from afar. She instinctively knew where to go now. All she needed to do was follow the direction from where the aura was and allow herself to be pulled by it. And finally, she woke up.

* * *

"Finally, you're awake," Uranus said a bit scornfully, but her eyes failed to mask the obvious concern in there.

"Are you feeling alright, Usagi-chan?" Neptune crouched down beside her, her worry more evident.

Usagi grunted as she tried to sit up. Her body ached a little and she was particularly having flank pains. She grabbed her side just near her pelvic bone. "What happened to me? Where are we?" She looked around and saw the vast forest surrounding them. The little river also caught her eyes; it was just beyond the thick shrubbery to her left.

"Apparently in the middle of nowhere. Unless you know where we are and where we're heading to." Uranus picked up a cooked fish. A surge of uncharacteristic urgency swept within Usagi. The tug in her blood was throbbing and pulling her to her knees. She prepared to stand up, ignoring the jolt of pain on both her sides. Neptune noticed her struggle to get up and helped her to her feet.

"We must go. There isn't much time," she said. But Uranus wouldn't have any of it. She insisted that Usagi must eat first. Usagi had found out that she had slept the entire night. This worried her because she knew that her father was far away and was moving further away from them as they speak. She could feel the changes of her link to her father; the barest strengthening and weakening of the tug did not slip pass her.

Immediately after she had finished her meal, they had set off leading her soldiers through the rugged terrain. She did not mind the discomfort brought about by her dismal choice in clothing but kept on, fired by the incessant thrumming in her blood. She had never felt anything like it before, as if she had never felt alive in her entire life before. The thought of seeing her father, or something else, fueled a passion she never thought she had. She could not place a word at it and she could feel that something was bound to drastically change. The odd thing about it is that she was torn between accepting and rejecting the change. Her body was responding to it too. The flank pains which gave her discomfort as she walked were now just a numbing sensation oddly comforting her.

Usagi could have walked the whole day if not for her soldiers' insistence for breaks and meals. She felt restless and charged with energy that seemed to come from nowhere at all. She remembered being charged with energy whenever her soldiers would lend them their powers during dire situations. But this one was different. The energy seemed to come from within her, flowing through her veins, assaulting her senses with uncharacteristic urges and actions. Could this power come from her father?

They had seen the types of insects Makai have, big and hideous with dark intent upon those they have preyed upon. Usagi would have acted in disgust, should have; however, the queen did no such thing as she ignored them and swatted them with her hand instinctively, crushing a few in the process. The thrumming of energy in her veins was making her fearless; it drove all her thoughts to one single task, which was to find her father within the seven days of their stay in Makai. For that she would have to do the best she can.

Having met some of the residents in Makai had cleared that this was no easy world to deal with. Monsters of Makai would kill without a doubt, not a pity in their minds. Usagi instantly knew this when a monster attacked them and her mind linked to the monster for some unknown reason. The monster had every intention of killing them-- she sensed his killing intent --and if not prevented would surely have succeeded. Uranus and Neptune took care of them though as they went along their journey, the monsters all seemed to grow a little stronger, some dumber and bigger, but definitely ravenous and a whole lot bothersome. Usagi knew that they would get stronger as they head onwards; she could sense them miles ahead. That discovery made her realize that the aura they were following was much much stronger than they could possibly handle. And this may well be her father she's referring to, she couldn't really tell; she just thought to follow it instinctively, without assuring on who it was they were actually following. Of course, there were other auras that were more frighteningly strong than the one they were following; but Usagi was too absorbed in her mission to care. In fact she was so absorbed that she missed her companions' call for attention.

"Your highness! Are you listening?"

"Huh?" Usagi was driven out of her concentrated thoughts by the slight distress in Uranus' voice. "What is it?"

"I don't think we should continue this way," Uranus said.

"What? But this is the right way," Usagi couldn't help but wonder what has gotten to them at this moment. Uranus looked wary about something.

"Can we not look for some other way? I fear we are heading to more trouble than necessary. Surely we can find a different path," Neptune pleaded. They were heading towards a direction which the soldiers didn't like. They could sense the ominous energy levels ahead of them and would like to stay away from any altercations as much as possible.

Usagi was torn. Should she tell them about the growing instinct to follow that direction and the fact that she knew what they feared? She had no intention of telling them much anyway, and the thought to inform them had not even crossed her mind until now. In fact she was vaguely aware of their presence, too caught up with the joyous singing of her blood. Her eyes looked around, her mind, for the rarest times, devising a way to meet the demands of her soldier and this mission.

"I guess so," she slowly said. They could find a way to avoid most of the dangerous creatures while still heading for the same direction. According to Neptune and to the stars that night, they were heading northbound. If they head a little to the west, they could avoid most of the threats. Afterwards they could head northwards, maybe zigzagging to avoid conflicts thereon. With that as planned, they headed westward, not knowing what lies ahead of them.

* * *

Thieves of Makai were a vicious sort. They vary from petty thieves to packs of very dangerous ones. Majority was of greedy kind, and all were just trying to survive the harsh world of demons. A pack of these thieves were heading for Kakushiro's fortress. Only a confident and strong group of thieves would dare venture to plunder a fortress heavily guarded such as that of Kakushiro's. And this particular group was said to fit the tab of notorious and skilled. With a leader powerful and cold-hearted, this group was arrogant enough to take on Kakushiro's fortress knowing that the demon has heard of their intent. If anything, their leader seemed to revel on the fact that danger lies in their path.

From above a cliff their leader gazed at the horizon, towards the western border. It won't take them long before they reached their destination. They've heard that in panic, Kakushiro fled to the western fortress of his land to hide his treasures from them. It was a stupid move, the demon thought. Now, it'd be easier for them to attack the said demon and take his treasures away. Because of this move, the leader of the thieves thought that Kakushiro was acting very suspicious. There was something he didn't want to fall under the thieves' hands and this made the leader more determined. The hunt would be more enjoyable and challenging this time. With this in mind, the demon, a fox named Youko, returned to his companions who're eagerly awaiting their next conquest.

* * *

TBC


	6. Chapter 5

Title: Flight of the Moon, Part 1

(Dark Side of the Moon)

Chapter 5

* * *

The end of the first day of their journey proved to be uneventful; at least to Usagi, that is. After all, she wasn't the one warding off those foul demons as her two soldiers were the ones who silently took on the job of doing so. She had long retired the life of a soldier and was now the one being protected by the soldiers she had once fought side by side with. But somehow, sometime, somewhere, while watching her soldiers eliminate those offending creatures, an urge gnawed at her. It was like an itch she couldn't scratch; and the urge to do so was slowly building up by the minute. The urge sang with her blood. The urge to do something... something uncharacteristic. She couldn't say what it was, she didn't know. It was just that the last monster they had encountered that day before the sun finally retreated from the sky, an eight feet monster with elephant tusks for teeth and a stench so foul it must not have bathed for a decade or so, that one made her feel like grabbing a spear, or a branch, or anything minutely pointed and possibly fatal, and gouging out one of its fishlike eyes, or maybe both, until they literally pop out of their sockets.

Now this urge startled Usagi later on when she sat that night to contemplate about it. She felt afraid of herself for the first time. She knew that normally she wasn't morbid enough to think such things to any creature, be it aliens from outer space who wanted to destroy her kingdom for one stupid reason or another, or mindless monsters alike; however stinky or ugly they may appear to be. The only thing she could blame it to was the thrumming in her blood. Her stupid blood felt like it's been diluted with fifty cups of caffeine or a quart at that. Even now with Neptune at watch and Uranus sleeping, Usagi sat staring at the fire. She could still sense her father; at this point she could feel that he had stopped moving. He must have stopped to camp somewhere, she thought.

"Michiru, why don't you sleep for the night this time? I'll keep watch," she found herself suddenly saying. She knew Neptune was tired from all the fighting they have done. They had at least encountered more than ten demons and all of them not a bit nicer than the first one.

Neptune looked at her startled, and then shook her head. "No, that's not necessary. You're the one who should get some rest. I'll stand guard until Haruka wakes up."

"But you're the one who needs to rest right now. Don't lie to me. I know you're tired from all that fighting. Besides you need to regain your strength. Tomorrow we'll encounter some more of those monsters. You might not be able to handle them. Don't worry about me. All I did after all was walk and lead the way."

"That might be true. But we are your soldiers and it is our duty to protect you at all costs. Don't worry; I'll be able to sleep later on. You go ahead." Neptune smiled a bit wanly.

Usagi shook her head. "No, actually it's funny; I don't feel tired at all. I feel so pumped up that I don't think I'll be able to get some sleep even if I lay down. This world... It's making me feel strange things. I'm feeling restless, like I just drank ten cups of coffee or something." A nervous laugh escaped her lips.

They became silent for a while.

"Your Highness," Neptune started but a frown from Usagi made her pause. "I mean, Usagi-chan," she continued, smiling fondly. "Is there something you wish to tell us?" It was a very vague question Neptune knew, but nonetheless something to start with until she could find a better question. Or until her queen tells them what she refuses to impart, whichever comes first.

Usagi looked at her soldier rather contemplatively, in the same manner she had regarded their camp fire minutes ago. Neptune, for once, couldn't read her, the once easily predictable person now turned into someone quite nearly alien. She was sure it was the air in this place that was making their queen act oddly. Their queen looked questionably tense for some time now, especially when they would encounter a monster in their path. Her eye would glitter in a very peculiar way and she would stand by the sidelines looking calmer than expected. In fact if Neptune had looked closely, she'd noticed that their queen wasn't exactly calm; but aside from that, she wasn't panicking either. Usagi actually felt a bit on the edge of something, something she couldn't thoroughly describe and say.

"Do you like to know why we were brought in a demon world to look for my father?" she suddenly asked, ignoring the startled look on Neptune's face. Usagi's mind at the moment was half busy trying to explain to herself the odd sensations she's been having since they landed on this place, rather than the task of explain things to Neptune. She figured she could save herself thinking time if she just went at it straightforwardly.

Neptune nodded in response.

"Well, you see... If I tell you then you must promise me not to tell anyone about this. Promise me not to tell a soul about it. Well, maybe you can tell Haruka. I know she wouldn't want to be out of this. Aside from her you must promise me not to tell a soul about it, not even the other soldiers or my husband or--"

Neptune reached out her hand and placed it on Usagi's folded ones. She smiled warmly at Usagi and said, "Trust me, I won't tell a soul."

Usagi was evidently relieved then stared back at the camp fire. "The reason why we are here is because... my father is a demon from this world..." She spoke softly but audibly; however, Neptune thought she had heard her wrong.

"I'm sorry. What did you say?"

"I said my father is a demon from this world," she calmly stated.

Neptune sat staring at her queen, her hand slowly dropping from Usagi's folded hands. "But that's--"

Uranus suddenly sat up from her prone position. "Are you serious?" There was hint of disbelief in her tone; but Usagi ignored the fact that Uranus had heard it all, lost in her own thoughts as she gazed at the fire.

"Yes; it's true. That's why I'm asking you not to tell this to anyone." Usagi's pleading eyes turned to her soldiers. "I went to this journey because I want to see him. At least once in my life I want to see my father. I never knew what he's like and I really want to know what sort of demon he is. Somehow when my mother brought up the subject of my father, I felt that I have to see him, even just once. I want to see the man my mother loved. I just have to." After that she became silent, watching the logs burned by the fire. The two soldiers acquiesced to their queen's silent plea and all three sunk into the stillness of the night for a while.

* * *

The next day proved to be much tiresome than the later one they had in Makai. Sure enough they avoided some strong demons along the way. However, they had to take several winding paths to do that. Of course, the occasional low level demon would unfortunately come in way; but it was nothing they couldn't handle. One flick of Uranus' sword and they're gone. If only they can do the same to the high rocks and tall trees which made quite an obstacle in their path, then they wouldn't be having a hard time. But they wouldn't want to catch attention by doing that, would they? The terrain grew horrible by the moment. It involved a lot of climbing through narrow cliffs and getting pass through thick forest trees and thorny shrubs. This didn't fare well for the queen given her choice of clothing; nonetheless, it didn't deter her from going onwards. On the contrary, as the minutes went by she became more determined. Her steps were hasty, if not a bit apprehensive. She was beginning to doubt she'd catch her father at the rate they were going; but she stopped herself from thinking about that hours ago for fear that it might come true.

It was past noon when a very foul smell reached them and mingled with the air around them. It was, by far, fouler than the stench of monsters. Though at first it was faint and could only be sensed intermittently, it later on became constant and disturbingly distinct. The thought of where the smell came from did not sit well in their minds or in their stomachs.

"I think we should go take a different route, your majesty," Uranus finally said after sometime when the stench became very distinct and disturbing. Usagi wasn't accustomed to such smell, in fact none of them were. But something told her that the source of that stench was something she did not wish to see, novice as she was at such things. She could feel goose bumps crawling up her skin at the thought of rotting flesh. She nodded her consent and they proceeded further west. It took sometime before the smell wavered and disappeared. The sky was already red when they found a village. Despite that, all they did was glance in horror as the dead village was laid before their eyes.

There were about a hundred of them spread out over the entire vacant lot. It must have once been a working field which now served as graves. They saw the hoes and the carts and sporadic shoots of rice scattered across the field. Usagi couldn't fathom the tragedy which brought about the horror that happened in this village. The truth was she was afraid to know. So far this must have been the first she had encountered an actual graveyard of this extent. When they entered the village, a good many of the houses showed signs of wreckage; those which didn't looked hollow and desolated. Nobody greeted them in the streets; no signs of life could be sensed anywhere. Usagi did not like the conclusion that came to mind when she noticed there was no one around in the village. It made her think of the graves in the fields and wondered if the number of graves coincides with the number of people that once lived here. The thought did not make her happy.

At first Uranus suggested that they go around the village; but Usagi disagreed because it would mean that they would have to walk further away from their actual destination. Aside from that something told her she had to take a look at the village. There was much pleading on Usagi's part; but when she started towards the direction of the village on her own, the soldiers had no choice. They had to follow their queen. Though curious, they really wouldn't mind not knowing what happened to the village.

Long after, they realized that they have reached a small temple situated on a hill side near the border of the village. Like the rest of the village it felt desolated and they continued to walk the stairs up to the temple. Uranus noticed the dark stains on the top flight of the stairs and hoped that their queen did not notice. Upon reaching the temple, they were surprise to see a young monk calmly sweeping the temple grounds, the first sign of life in this godforsaken place.

"We're sorry. We didn't know that someone was here," Usagi immediately blabbered when the monk, initially surprise when he saw them, eyed them suspiciously.

"We mean no harm, monk. We just happened to pass by and wondered why no one was around this village. We hope you understand," Uranus prompted, seeing as Usagi was about to continue on with blabbering.

The monk must have felt relieved when he smiled at them sadly. "Did you not see the graves? This village had been attacked by demons some months ago. Those who survived fled to the next village. I was left here to take care of this temple." With that said, the monk graciously offered them some tea and they went inside the temple. Usagi mused that this looked like the temple that Rei used to live. In fact that temple still exists and once in a while Rei would go there. But unlike that temple back home, she had a feeling that something was in this temple which tugged at her soul. Aside from that, a more palpable haunted mood could be felt in this temple. Could it be that her father stayed in this village? Could it be that he was one of the demons who destroyed this village? She felt something awful at the pit of her stomach and a feeling of dread came upon her.

No. She was sure her father wouldn't have.

The monk gave them tea inside the temple. For the first time in their journey they felt refreshed and relaxed, making Usagi carelessly and suddenly toss off her cloak. The young monk stared at her in shock and asked, "Are you by any chance a noble?"

"You can say that," Usagi mindlessly replied, sipping her tea gleefully.

The young monk looked suddenly abashed. "I'm sorry if tea is the only thing I can offer. We didn't have much after this place was destroyed by the demons. If you can wait for a while, I'll go and get something more suitable."

"No, this will be fine. We understand your situation. This is enough," Uranus prompted.

"By the way," Neptune said. "It seems that this temple remained untouched. The demons, they came to this temple?"

The monk nodded solemnly. "It may seem untouched, stranger; but yes, the demons did come here? In fact they stole all the valuables in here and killed some of the worshippers and monks, as well as the priestess. As you can see, the place is empty. It was practically stripped of its grandeur. Back then, this was a sacred place. People all over the village would come here to give offerings and prayers for a good harvest. Now it is nothing more but a hollow structure." Then he muttered something incoherent under his breath as if in prayer.

Usagi listlessly traced the rim of her cup. Something has been bothering her from the moment she had set foot in this temple. It felt like the words, her own words, were buying some time, congregating, plotting, and organizing themselves coherently until such a time when they would strike their prey. This was a certain moment. A moment that only occurred until recently in this strange place. A moment when she felt like she was being lead somewhere she was not suppose to go to but was being pulled inevitably nonetheless like apples by gravity.

"That's very sad," Usagi muttered a bit dazedly.

"And you were saved?" Uranus asked.

"I was on an errand when the village was attacked. I came back only to find the village destroyed and most of the villagers dead. Those who survived escaped through the forest and went back again to bury their dead after the demons left. I stayed here because I had nowhere else to go. Besides I feel that some of the villagers would soon come back to live here."

All of a sudden Usagi heard a scream. It was a very faint scream. A scream that the others did not seem to hear at all. Then she felt rather than saw blood decorating the walls of the room. Her heart was beating faster, her blood rushing with adrenaline.

"I would like to take a look around this place. That is if you'd allow me to," she suddenly said as calmly as she could. She felt a sudden tug at her soul. Like a single sound of gong in the middle of a dark and moonless night. She abruptly stood up, eyes a bit desperate. "Can we please look around?" she voiced out, louder than necessary.

The monk, though confused, agreed and proceeded to tell them the history of the temple and the village as they toured the main temple. When they got outside, that was when Usagi heard the various screams and shouts of unseen people. She tensed. Flashes of red, of scared villagers and dead monks came to her vision only for a very brief second. But they were enough to scar her for a lifetime. She shivered. The wind blew by and calmed her as they walked round the temple to reach the backyard. Something was comforting her, calming her down. It touched her soul and lessened the fears and sorrows that she felt when she saw those visions. She knew the way her feelings suddenly shifted from one extreme emotion to another in mere minutes was unnatural; but she was too comforted to ask for reasons. A whisper in her mind told her that everything would be alright. Something was near to give her comfort.

At the back of the temple was another small temple. It looked old but was well kept and was almost plain looking.

"This was where the treasure of the village was once kept. Unfortunately, the bandits..." he trailed off.

"I see," Michiru muttered, feeling sorry for him. He sounded really sad.

"It was the village's most priceless treasure. It was a treasure that gave birth to this village. A long time ago, the story goes that our ancestors were once from the eastern village far from these lands. Because that land was plagued with famine, they decided to journey to the west in search of lands to till. They asked the heavens for a sign which will lead them to a place where they could settle. One night, their prayers were answered. As they were travelling along the way, a great ball of blue fire coming from the sky dropped towards the mountain ahead of them. The villagers followed where the ball of fire landed which led them to this mountain." The monk pointed at the mountain just ahead of them. "They call this mountain Aoinoyama. This is where they found the treasure sent by heaven. Unfortunately," a deep sigh. "It is a great loss for us. Without it I don't think the people will be eager to come back soon."

"Don't lose hope," Michiru said, obviously touched by the sadness in the young monk's voice.

"True, they'll eventually come back," Uranus said.

The monk smiled sadly. "I wish for that to come true. However, that treasure was very sacred to us. Without it to protect us, I don't think the villagers would feel safe to come back here. But nevermind that, somehow I feel everything will come back to normal. Will you be staying in here for the night? There are a lot of spare rooms and I would be glad to finally have some company with me tonight."

Uranus and Neptune happily agreed. Usagi on the other hand stood silently in front of the wooden door of the small temple. There was something in that room, or something that was once there. It was telling her something, something she knew was important, something she needed to know, and something completely phenomenal like the key to all the answers in the universe. It was nagging endlessly at her. She would have grabbed the doors and forcefully opened it if not for the others suddenly calling her attention and giving her worried looks. She forced a smile on her lips and followed them as they started to walk back to the main temple. But she stopped momentarily when she felt that something was calling. A flash of blue came to her mind. It was familiar but she didn't know why it was. She resolved to find out later that night.

* * *

AN: yes, i'm quite aware that naoko takeuchi of SM and yoshihiro togashi of YYH are actually a married couple. i once had a picture of them in their wedding dress but i lost the pic a long time ago. i think they were married sometime 1999, not really sure, but they currently have a son. it's an amusing fact though, and one of the reasons that prompted me to write this fic. it's quite funny that both authors have homosexual undertones included in their popular mangas (i.e. sensui-itsuki, uranus-neptune). and yes, there will also be homo themes in this fic.. hope you enjoy reading. sorry for the late updates. school has been unreasonably hectic these days.


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